1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to wick-holder assemblies, and more particularly to wick-holder assemblies having a light and/or sound show.
2. Background
Many different multi-sensory candle assemblies that emit sound and/or light are known. In one instance, a candle assembly has a wicked candle disposed inside a cylindrical container having a recessed stepped ring encircling an open top end thereof. A circular shade body fits within the open top end and has an outer peripheral flange that rests on the recessed stepped ring.
In another instance, a candleholder has a standard for receiving a candlestick, which extends from a base of the candleholder. The standard has a socket with an out-turned flange at an upper end thereof for receiving the candlestick therein. A funneled split tube is disposed in the socket. The split tube has an out-turned peripheral flange that rests on the out-turned flange of the socket. A cap spans the out-turned flange of the socket and rests on a peripheral edge thereof spaced above the split tube.
An electric candle is known that has a hollow cylindrical body portion extending up from a mounting base. A votive candle is carried within an open upper end of the body portion by a bracket having a plurality of arms extending radially outwardly from a central frustoconical rim. The votive is carried inside the rim, and the peripheral edges of the arms rest on a recessed inner annular rim at the open upper end of the body portion.
In some instances, a candle has a constant elevation flame with a wax body contained within a tubular outer casing. A spring urges the wax body upwardly toward a wick carried over an open end of the outer casing by a thermally-insulated cover. The wick extends through a central aperture in the cover and is retained at a constant elevational position by a wire. An outturned peripheral lip of the cover rests in a peripheral recess in the tubular casing.
In one instance, a decorated luminary product has a candle or candleholder containing a candle. The luminary product has a decorative web of a heat-shrinkable polymer conforming to the shape of the luminary product. The web is decorated with a thermochromatic ink or pigmentation that reacts to heat generated by burning a candle to provide a visual effect when the candle is burned.
In other instances, a melody candle has an optical fiber embedded in the candle in parallel with a wick. The optical fiber is connected to a photo sensor that controls a melody-producing unit, such that when the candle is lit, light is transferred through the optical fiber to the photo sensor, which causes a melody to be played. The optical fiber is coated with a dark colored color change pigment that prevents ambient light transfer to the photo sensor when the candle is not lit. Upon lighting of the wick, heat from the lit wick causes the color change pigment to become transparent allowing light to travel down the optical fiber to activate the melody-producing unit to initiate a melody.
Another melodic candle assembly has a candle with a wick axially disposed therewithin and a thermoresponsive, piezoelectric strip disposed alongside the wick. When the wick is lit, heat from a flame translated by the thermoresponsive strip initiates a melody, song, or vocal rendition by activating electronics in the candle base.
Still another melody-producing candle has an embedded integrated circuit that produces music. A fiber optic strand transfers light from a lit wick to a light sensor operatively connected to the integrated circuit. The candle further includes a light reflector that adjusts the sensitivity of the light sensor to light transferred to the sensor via the fiber optic strand.
A further melody candle assembly has a candle with one or more recesses on a bottom surface and a wick with a lower end extending to a bottom surface of the candle. The candle also has an optical fiber embedded axially therein. The candle assembly further also has a candlestick element with a top surface provided with one or more apertures and a center hole into which the wick extends. The candle assembly has a melody reproducing unit and a photosensor fitted in the center hole opposite of the lower end of the wick to sense light from the wick to prepare the melody producing unit for operation.
Another melody candle uses a color change pigment to coat an optical fiber that stays in black-like colors to shield light at normal states and gets changed to transparent colors at a time of the application of heat when the candle is burnt.
In another instance, a candle device has a flame-responsive circuit adapted to respond to a flame source and a receiver circuit configured to respond to a radio-frequency signal. The flame-responsive circuit and receiver circuit are coupled to an electronic playback device, an electromechanical device, or a light source device.
A further candle device has a candle body housed within a container having a bottom and a compartment formed at the bottom to contain a music generator that has an integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is controlled by switching means that trigger the integrated circuit in response to the presence of a candle flame on a lit wick of the candle. The switching means has a fiber optic member combined with a photosensitive resistor, a thermally conducting wire combined with a thermo-sensitive resistor, or a thermally conducting wire combined with an infrared resistor. The infrared resistor detects infrared radiation emitted by the heated wire.
A color-changing candle has a fiber optic strand embedded adjacent to and in parallel with a wick in a candle body. The fiber optic is operatively connected to electronics embedded within the candle body. In response to detecting light channeled from the fiber optic strand, the electronics activate one or more light emitting diodes that change the color of the candle body to that of the color of the one or more lit light emitting diodes.
In yet other instances, a candle contains an optical guide, such as a fiber optic cable, within a wick axially is disposed within a candle body. The optical guide is coupled to a music producing electronic circuit, such that when the candle is lit, candlelight transferred along the optical guide triggers the playing of a musical tune.
In other instances, a candle has a candle flame extinguisher assembly that functions to extinguish a candle flame once the candle has burned a sufficient amount of wax to trigger a magnet-based mechanism. The magnet-based candle flame extinguisher mechanism has a candle that has a wick holder and a first magnet having a first polarity. The candle is disposed over a second magnet that has a second polarity and is disposed beneath the candle. The first and second magnets are positioned such that the first polarity of the first magnet is repelled by the second polarity of the second magnet. However, the weight of the candle is sufficient initially to overcome the repulsion force of the first and second magnets allowing the candle to remain in an upright position. Upon sufficient melting of the candle, a pool of melted wax is formed. After an amount of wax is consumed, the repelling force between the magnets overcomes the weight of the candle and causes the candle to be tipped over into the pool of melted wax thereby extinguishing the flame.
In other instances, a candle support structure is designed to prevent a candle from being overturned by vibration of an earthquake or the like. The structure appears to consist of a thimble-like device that fits into a hole in the base of a conventional wax-bodied candle body. The thimble and candle are received upon a receiving body. The position on the receiving body where the thimble and candle are received has a permanent magnet embedded therein flush with what appears to be a dish-like structure, presumably to catch candle wax drippings from a burning candle. The candle is designed with a hole in its base for first receiving the thimble therein, but additionally for preventing the candle from overheating the thimble and permanent magnet thereunder.
In yet another instance, a magnetic candleholder assembly has a candleholder with a magnet adhered to a base thereof. Further, the assembly has a spiked disk comprising magnetic material. The disk is inserted into the base of a conventional wax-type candle, and the disk and candle are placed atop the magnet. The magnetic attractive force between the magnet adhered to the candleholder and the magnetic material-comprised disk inserted into the base of the candle secures the candle to the candleholder.
A lighted display device has a base that incorporates three light emitting diodes that together can emit color in the visible spectrum and selectively illuminate a translucent article disposed on the display device. The diodes are positioned below an upper surface of the base and within a centrally located light passage disposed in the base. A translucent article support is removably placed atop the upper surface of the base to further diffuse and distribute the light emitted by the LEDs. The translucent article support may be a flat sheet of translucent material or a candle holder.
In yet further instances, a candlestick element has at least two apertures spaced apart and a center hole to which the lower end of an optical fiber is extended and a melody producing unit with switch knobs movably protruded over respective apertures formed at the top portion of the candlestick element.